“Opposition from the vehicle manufacturers doesn’t change the truth about the REPAIR Act: aftermarket suppliers, independent repairers, and vehicle owners alike have a right to access vehicle repair information that can be shared safely and securely.”
– Andrew Seely, University of Maryland Global Campus Computer Science Faculty
In a new RealClearEnergy opinion piece, cybersecurity expert Andrew Seely establishes the case for safely and securely expanding vehicle repair data access with bipartisan solutions like the REPAIR Act, which would create a level playing field for modern vehicle repairs that empowers independent businesses and consumers.
Seely, a teacher in the University of Maryland Global Campus Computer Science department for over 20 years, details how original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) gatekeep vehicle repair information under the premise of protecting consumer data privacy.
In reality, expanding the independent aftermarket’s access to routine vehicle data needed for repairs and maintenance does not increase security risks. Seely notes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) recently affirmed this point, finding no evidence to support OEM claims that independent shops pose greater data security risks than OEMs’ exclusive service networks.
As Seely points out, we live in an increasingly digital world – and best practices and systems for safe and secure data sharing, like third-party authenticator systems, are already in place across critical industries. While some of this infrastructure already exists on a small scale in the auto industry, the bipartisan Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act (H.R. 906) would establish a comprehensive, industry-wide regulatory framework that ensures safe and secure access for all car owners and vehicle service providers.
“This system is already being deployed, albeit at a small scale, in the vehicle industry. An enhanced and expanded program is needed to guarantee repair and maintenance data access across a wide range of vehicle ages, makes, and models – and that’s where the REPAIR Act comes in.”
– Andrew Seely, Cybersecurity and IT Expert and Professor, University of Maryland Global Campus
The REPAIR Act seeks to establish a competitive vehicle repair and service landscape as technologies modernize – protecting independent businesses’ right to compete and consumers’ right to choose in the process.
Join the growing, consumers-first right to repair movement and tell Congress to advance the REPAIR Act and other commonsense auto repair legislation like the SMART Act today!
Read Seely’s full piece in RealClearEnergy here.
